Area N
by Khrollen
Summary: Ninety years later, Model A and Grey sort out their grief and obtain insight. Post ZXA. ZXA secret ending cannon. Implied character death.


It's an attempt to get myself out of my writer's block. DD: As you can all tell, this was written when I was in a bad mood. Unrevised, writer's block infested, and generally written on a whim, don't expect much from my drabble.

_Implied_ character death because I never actually use the word 'dead'.

Disclaimer: Capcom owns Megaman (Rockman) ZXA. Since I'm posting this disclaimer, I'm not a part of Capcom, now am I?

General translations (because I'm a dork and I use the Japanese terms for the heck of it):

Livemetal: Biometal

Trans-on: A-trans

Irregular: Maverick

Repliroid: Reploid

Biomerge: Megamerge

Model V: Model W

Suffixes:

-nee: short for 'Onee-san (chan, sama, whatever)', it means 'older sister' or denotes that the person is an older female that is not old enough to be called by 'Ms' or 'Mrs'. Since it's a shortened form, it's basically endearment in Grey's case.

-nii: short for 'Onii-san (chan, sama, whatever)'. Same as above, except for males.

Oh, and btw, cyber-cookies to whoever picks up the racism (replism, whatever you call it) in here.

* * *

Area N-1

"Grey, what are we doing here?" Model A asked, irritation and worry lacing his voice (if one could call it that, considering the Livemetal couldn't be heard anywhere else but Grey's mind).

The repliroid Chosen-One held back a sigh as he blasted another mechaniloid to death with Aile's ZX buster. "I've told you before, A, that someone picked up abnormal readings around here. I had to go check it out." Grey responded in Aile's voice as he slashed through another Irregular. "Trans-on!" he cried as he changed into Aeolus' model H form to jet over an unhappy looking pit of spikes.

"You could've gotten someone else to go, you know." Model A continued to gripe. "This place gives off these _really_ creepy vibes; it's my Livemetal senses, y'know. Now you've _got_ to get out of here!" When his Chosen-One refused to respond, the Livemetal forced energy into his own version of a knock to the head.

It gave Grey the repliroid equivalent of an earth splitting migraine crossed with a nerve paralyzing brain freeze. He gasped as he kneeled down for more balance and the world spun around him, nearly swaying him into the spiky deaths of the floor below.

"Model A!" Grey grit out between tightly clenched teeth. "That hurt! Not to mention, that was also dangerous! What if I had fallen to my death?"

"I made sure it was a time when you wouldn't have." Model A sniffed, still sounding slightly worried despite his words. "Anyways, it'd be what you deserve for not listening to me in the first place! Remember what Aile and Vent had said? (Grey flinched.) They warned us about this Area." Model A paused before continuing in a softer tone, "I'm worried about you, Grey. You've been doing really reckless things lately, ever since Ashe – "

"No!" Grey suddenly cried. He released the biomerge and curled into himself, pressing against one of the corners of the platform he was situated on. "Stop it Model A! I don't want to think about that right now!"

"Grey!" The Livemetal exclaimed, managing to sound panicked and aggravated at the same time. "Re-biomerge, it's dangerous here!"

"I don't want to!" Grey shouted back.

"Grey, Stop being so childish!"

Grey froze.

Taking his chance, Model A whispered furiously, "Grey, it's been over ninety years since you were first activated, you, _Ashe_ (Grey flinched again.), and I met, defeated all of Albert's evil minions, met Aile and Vent, kicked Albert's graying butt, saved the world, kicked _Thomas_'s graying butt, saved the world again, became world renown heroes, and then spent the next eighty or so years helping Master Mikhail lead this world."

The Livemetal paused to let his rant sink in before plowing on through. "Eventually, Vent went on first, then Aile, and finally, a couple months ago, Ashe did too." He trailed off before shaking himself of the memories as a do would water and continued sadly, "And probably you will too, Grey, being limited to your predetermined life settings. Yet, even though you're going to shut down soon, all you seem to be doing is hastening your end, taking all sorts of risky, dangerous, missions, and I want to know _why_."

Model A turned his unblinking 'eyes' to Grey's own, and despite himself, Grey couldn't turn away from their condemning gaze. "Have you given up already, or are you just so eager to leave me?"

Grey started shaking, "Wh-what?"

"I'm a Livemetal, Grey." Model A said gently, so juxtaposed from his usual loud, brash, immature nature. "I'll probably never really 'die'. Sure, Model V is gone and buried under the sea and Albert's dead, so I don't actually _have_ any sort of higher purpose on this plane, but," The Live metal's voice accelerated and rose in volume before diving back down again, "but, it doesn't mean that I'll just kick the bucket with my last remaining Chosen-One."

Model A's defeated tone reminded Grey horribly of Model X and the others who now either clung to each other frantically or to him, or otherwise floated around listlessly in half-hearted circles. They had been so ever since Aile died; it was extremely depressing to watch.

"A," Grey tentatively reached out both his hands to his partner who immediately settled down into his cupped hands. Grey held Model A to his chest for a while before muttering, "Rock-on." A flash of light later, he was fused with his Livemetal.

Grey stood and faced the direction he had come from. "I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary here. There's nothing to report: mission complete."

Model A hummed contentedly and gave Grey an impression of a smile. "Home?" He asked.

"Home." Grey agreed.

As the two made their trek back towards the nearest transerver, Grey asked, "Model A?"

"Hmm?"

The repliroid turned red and continued shyly, "Do you think Master Mikhail could remove my life time limit if I asked him to?"

"Hm – what?!" Model A startled as he processed his Chosen-One's words.

Grey turned a deeper shade of red as he muttered, "I just thought, well, that no one really knows what happens to humans when they die." He said solemnly even as his cheeks refused to lose their red hue. "Repliroids end up in Cyberspace, but what of humans?" He came to a stop and faced upwards as though he could see past the ceiling into the sky. "If… if I can't see Ashe, Aile-nee, or Vent-nii again even when I terminate, I think I'd rather stay alive: with you." Grey quickly ducked his head in embarrassment at his last words.

Model A stayed silent.

"It was just a thought!" Grey quickly amended, slightly hurt and confused. "Master Mikhail had offered to try a couple decades ago, but it didn't really appeal to me back then so I declined, but now, uh…." The words had sounded much more cohesive and, well, better in his mind, Grey found as he attempted to sputter out the rest of his speech.

"Really, Grey?" Model A finally asked softly, desperately, hopefully.

Grey fell silent and, without hesitation, replied, "Yeah."

"… I'll keep you to that, then." The Livemetal said after a time. "Don't leave me too, Grey."

Grey gave his best smile. "I'll try my best."

* * *

Originally, there was a higher purpose to why Grey was in Area N. If I had gone along with it, however, this would have turned into another multichaptered fic of DOOM, and therefore, I cut all that out and settled for a one-shot.

Feedback and corrections to any of my incorrect grammar and misspellings are very welcomed.


End file.
